Bewitching the Assassins
by Daemonai
Summary: Mezula is a modern day Assassin, only she carried what her family calls the Wand of Eden. In escaping Abstergo, she uses the Wand, wishing to go somewhere safe. She never thought that 'safe' place would be in 1191 Acre! Uncertain pairings- oppinions?
1. Prologue

Hello! So, I have been rather obsessed with Assassin's Creed for a long time. Thus I finally decided to write down what I day-dream about. This is written through the POV of my character Mezula Amir. This is short, only because it's the begining- the rest will be longer, I promise!

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I ran as fast as I could in my gypsy style of clothing, breathing as normally as I could, despite how the air burned my throat and made me taste blood from the workout. I didn't dare cast a glance behind myself, not when the pounding of feet was already so steady and loud. Instead I looked ahead, looking for anywhere I could turn to escape. I had been a fool; how could I be so careless to walk around town, not paying attention to where I was? All it took was one mistake, and I could be caught. This I knew all too well, since I had lived my life on the run always.

"Just give up!" One of the women chasing me shouted. "No matter how hard you try, we'll catch you anyway!" My teeth clenched together and for once I wasn't bothered by the black hair caught in my mouth. Abstergo was adamant to capture assassins and I was now on their list. Or, I had been on it for a while, but I had a habit of escaping. I thanked my uncle Magnus for this- the man was king of evasion and had taught me many tricks. One of them was carried in my bag, I remembered. My hand slid into the object and dug around- dagger, no; pain pills, no; small cold ball- yes! I tore it from the bag and threw it down under my feet, causing a small explosion of smoke. I held my breath as I ran through it, though my eyes didn't get the luxury of missing the stinging smoke. Behind me I heard gasps and curses, but one word made me laugh as I ran away. "_**Assassin!**_" It was funny to hear; because I would never really consider myself much of an assassin- I was far too clumsy and loud to be much good.

Instead, the other part of my heritage played a key role in my life. Like my mother before me, and her father before her, I was a witch. Granted I couldn't blast people out of the sky with my wand, I still had power. For example, the power to disappear. My uncle had made me swear to use this spell only under severe circumstances, as it could only be used once in a person's life. Anymore then that and the user would die.

Being caught by Templars seemed a good enough excuse.

So when I turned another corner, I pulled my wand out of my white sleeve. It was no ordinary wand, but one that had been passed down in my family since the time of the crusades. What remained of it at least. Over the years, it had been worn out by many hands and much use and had finally been set in a new handle. It had transferred from my mother to my uncle, then at his death to me. Now I hoped I would be able to use it to save more then just my life. What I carried was no ordinary wand, but it was a part that had been broken from another Piece of Eden and shaped to fit a witch's needs.

I lifted the wand to my face and pressed it to my lips, praying silently to whoever listened for luck. Then I began to speak.

"I pray to those who listen, to my ancestors, to hear my plea." My words were quiet, but strong. "I am in need-" I could hear shouts coming closer, the sound of footfalls suddenly meeting my ears. "Of help! Guide me and take me to a place where I will be safe!"

"I found her!" I turned my head, seeing one of my chasers only a few yards from me. As he turned, making a full sprint for me, I closed my eyes, tears sliding from them.

"Please save me!" It seemed as though my final plea had caught someone's attention, because the man seemed to slow and the world around me turn into a light gray color. The wand itself glowed a wild silver, the light moving to enfold me in its gentle embrace. Relief flooded through me until the glow covered my chaser. Once more he sped up, reaching for me. I tried to take a step away, but I was frozen in place. I wasn't sure if it was fear or the wand holding me in place, but I couldn't take a single step.

A look of triumph crossed over his face as his hand curled around my bag. With a shriek of terror, I could finally move. I jerked my arm out from my purse and kneed him in the groin. He wasn't expecting me to knee him, because his arm was raised as though to block a punch. As he curled into himself, he pulled my bag into his chest, clinging to it like a lifeline. I gave one final kick, knocking him away from me just as the silver glow sped back towards me, moving into the wand. The last thing I saw of my surroundings was the spilled contents of my bag; the book with the assassin's symbol carved into it. I didn't even have time to reach out to try and grab it- once the silver came back, my surroundings changed completely.

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So there it is! I'll actually have the next chapter up somewhat soon- today or tomorrow. Pointers are welcome, reviews are welcome, flames are not. Word it in a pleasent way and I will grandly appreciate it!


	2. Demon!

So I managed to write it all in just a few hours like I promised! I'll write again and try to get some more up tomorrow as well.

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In my new surroundings, I fell forward in a bright flash of light. I threw my hands out to catch myself, mindless of the wand in my hand. I managed to stop myself from landing face first into a dead body. I stared down in stunned silence, hair falling in front of my gaze as well. The man under me had his head bashed in, mouth agape with dried blood pooled around his tongue. I jerked back, falling on my butt as I stared. Where was I? I looked around to see men and women staring at me, eyes wide in fear. I looked down at my hands, relieved to see that the wand was still in my hand. My relief died at the next sound I heard.

"Demon!" A woman screamed, clutching her shawl with one hand, the other pointing at me. "It's a demon! Guards- guards!" The silence was broken as the crowd erupted in screams for the guards. I jumped up and whirled, trying to find a direction to go. When I heard clanking and heavy footfalls behind me, I took off strait ahead of me. The people ahead of me backed out of my way, still shouting for guards.

I cast a glance behind me to see what I was up against. At first I thought I must be dreaming. Not only were the men in tunics, they were armor and carried swords. Swords! Those went obsolete so many years ago! Ahead of me I saw crates lined up with wooden beams. Thanking my luck, I yanked up my red skirts and ran up the crates. Jumping was another issue entirely. With my skirts, how could I get from beam to beam? There was no time to really think, so I jumped, skirts bunched up in my hand. Once more my luck was with me as I managed to get across the beams to the roof. Since I was more agile and not weighed down, I was a few moments ahead and cocky about it. When I looked back to throw a taunt, I realized, to my distress, that one of the guards was only four beams behind me. With a shout, I dropped my skirts and ran, shoving the wand up my sleeve once more. Without my bag, I had no tricks; I had no way to attack, as my only dagger was inside of it. I had nothing to throw and I was tiring quickly. The magic had drained me of my strength, and only a desire to survive kept me going.

Despite even my will, my vision was going black around the edges. I huffed, hearing the sounds of guards catching up. Just as I jumped to the next building over, a shout from near me came.

"Get down from here!" I turned my head to look and watch as an arrow burrowed itself into my arm, making another cry erupt from my lips. Before another shot could be issued out, I jumped to another building, then down to the hanging gardens it had. I knew I had no chance to blend in here- not with an arrow jutting from my arm, so I jumped again, then turned. There was some sort of cloth-covered shed ahead of me. Hope passed through me, causing me to run just a bit faster. I managed to jump to the next ledge, and dove inside, my good arm first.

Apparently it was a mistake and this hiding place was already in use. I could tell because all of the sudden there was a blade at my throat and a man's calloused hand covered my mouth. I struggled briefly, but when the blade was pressed into the soft skin of my neck, I didn't move. The man behind me leaned forward, whispering in my ear.

"Don't move." He growled, his voice rumbling from his chest to my back. Since I was unarmed, I complied. Surely one man was better then seven armed guards? I could feel him tense as the footfalls of the guards got nearer.

"Where did it go?" One of them snarled. They were now near enough that I could hear their armor making clinking noises again. I myself tensed, ignoring as the blade drew even further into my skin, making a small cut.

"We have to deal with assassins and now a demon? God must not be getting much amusement from our Holy War if he sends us more shit!" I could hear this other man spit as the man behind me turned, I assumed to look at me.

"Let's keep going- she must be around here somewhere!" Hissing noises came forth as I assumed they sheathed their blades. I heard a small 'clunk', then the amused voice of one of the guards.

"It is a shame she is a demon, she seemed so eager to lift her skirts, didn't she?" He joked. My reaction was to curl my fingers into the thigh of the man who held me. Against me I could feel him fighting to silence the grunt of pain he must have felt, so I quickly released him. Even after we had heard the guards jump down, neither of us moved, both just staring to the side of the shed, cautious of more danger. After five minutes, he relaxed a little.

"I am going to remove my hand." He said quietly, voice cold. "If you scream, I will not hesitate in killing you." He let the threat hang there for a moment. "Understand?" I gave a swift, but careful nod so the blade didn't dig any further into my neck. He slowly removed his hand from my mouth, the blade slipping away as well. I gave a weary sigh and reached up to touch the arrow wound. He shoved me without warning away from him into the other side of the shed. Now was the first time I was able to look at him even slightly. He wore white robes, the hood curled over his face so I could not make anything out besides his scared lip. What I could see, however, was the red sash, like my own. Quickly, I switched over to my Eagle Vision to determine if he was friend or foe.

The man's body was covered in a soft white light, which made me a little less weary. I blinked and the Vision went away, allowing me to look at him.

"Who are-" He began, making to stand. I cut him off.

"Safety and peace, Brother." Kneeling, he stopped moving. He looked up more; I supposed to examine my face.

"What did you just say?" His voice held a firm, demanding tone, underlined with a stunned curiosity.

"Safety and peace, Brother." I repeated, looking up at him with my lavender eyes. His hand shot out and jerked me in close to his face, then he tossed me out of the shed. I muffled the cry of pain as I landed on my wound, snapping the arrow and twisting it into my flesh. "What the he-" I started to snarl, only to be silenced by a long sword held with its tip against my belly.

"Woman," His voice was filled with fury and ice. "How is it you know this greeting?" We stared at each other, him hoping to put more fear then I already had into me, me trying to figure out how to go about this. I blinked many times as my vision began to blur. The cut upon my neck, the arrow wound, the magic- all these things caught up to me. I began to sway my head, trying to focus.

"I…" I blacked out. I remember nothing of what happened next, only that when I finally woke, I had been laid on top of a pile of pillows, the white moonlight shining through a slated roof.

I gave a soft groan and sat up, moving to examine myself. There was a thin amount of bandaging around my neck, a thicker amount of bandaging on my left shoulder where I had been shot. My sleeve had been ripped off to get to the wound, though I could see the blood still crusted on my once white shirt. I cringed and leaned on my right hand to stand. My hair was the next thing I took notice of. At first I had been sure there was someone else near me when I had seen the white locks resting under my face, but now that I moved I could see the hair was mine. When I had stood, on shaking legs, still exhausted from the magic, I touched my hair in wonder. Had the magic truly taken so much out of me, that my once black hair was now as white as snow?

The last thing I realized, and I realized this with a start, was that if my sleeve was missing, where was the Wand?

I quickly shot for the door where I heard the soft murmurs of voices. I reached first with my left hand, but gave a shout when the wound reminded me of its existence. The sound of voices ended immediately, but I didn't care- I had to get it back! I pushed the door open, then gripped at my wounded arm. Inside was the man I had fallen on earlier and behind the counter was an older man. The older man offered me a smile, but the other assassin had his hand on his sword, glaring at me. I knew he glared because now with the light of the lone candle in the room, his narrow eyes gleamed in frozen gold. I met his glare with one of my own, my lavender eyes challenging.

"Where is the Wand?" I hissed, taking another step near them. The assassin pulled out his sword and held it at the ready.

"Altair," The older man scolded. "She is injured and clearly in pain, you don't need your sword." The man in white robes, now known as Altair turned his head a little to look at the other man.

"As you say, Rafik." He put the sword away with clear distaste. My stance was already wavering as my body wished for nothing more then the ability to sit down and rest again.

"Who are you?" I demanded, licking my lip nervously. Altair stepped forward as if to attack me. The man that Altair called Rafik spoke.

"My name is Karam Jal Adil'aidar." He introduced, pressing his hand to his chest and gave me a small bow. "Please call me Karam." I looked to Altair, but it was clear he would not give his name so freely.

"I am Mezula Amir." I gave a bow of my head. When I looked back up, Karam was nodding, writing it down with a quill into a book. "Where is my Wand?" He looked up, long silver beard wavering with the movement.

"Ah, you mean this?" He reached under the counter and pulled out the Wand. My shoulders slumped at the comforting sight of my wand. "This is a curious piece of metal." He turned it in his hand, examining it as it glimmered. "I wonder as to how you acquired it?" He smiled and set it down. I limped forward to grab it, but was blocked by the armed assassin. Fury twisted my face and I did the first thing I thought of. In hindsight, attempting to steal a blade from an assassin, one clearly with a higher rank, was a bad idea. My hand gripped one of the knives at his side and jerked it out. I didn't go very far because he caught my wrist and twisted me so my back was to him, wrist up to my neck as he shoved me to the ground. I yowled in pain as he dug his knee into my spine and struggled.

"Release me!" I spat, struggling to escape.

"How did you come to possess an object such as this?" Altair demanded, catching my useless arm in his hand, applying pressure. I cried out, tears forming in my eyes.

"F-family heirloom!" I sobbed. Karam moved from behind the counter to stand before me.

"Altair tells me the guards called you a demon and were giving chase?" He asked softly, though he did not tell Altair to get off.

"They called me demon, yes." I hiss through the pain.

"Why? Where is it you come from?" I quickly thought about it- I could not tell them where I was really from, as there was no way to validate it. But I could tell a minor truth.

"I come from far away; everywhere but nowhere." I told him, struggling to head-butt the man behind me.

"A nomad?" He asked, interest spiking his words.

"I am a nomad." I agreed.

"That is… curious." He reached up and stroked his beard. "I was also told you gave Altair a greeting?"

"Safety and peace; yes what about it?" Once more my wound was assaulted, ripping a scream from me.

"How do you know such a greeting?" Now he crouched before me.

"I am an assassin! Like you!" I bellowed. Altair snorted and pressed hard on the wound, ripping it open further. The pain was growing ever worse and I burrowed my face into the stone floor, wetting the ground with my tears.

"You are a liar, Woman."

"Now now, Altair, what if she can prove it?" Karam grinned beneath his beard. "Can you, young one?"

"Yes! Get off me and I will show you!" I struggled again, though it stopped when the larger assassin slammed my hurt arm into the ground.

"Let her up, let her up." I pried my eyes open to see the Rafik stand, looking impatient. Altair sighed through his nose slowly, the grip on my arm tightening in warning, before he released me, getting off me and stepping aside. I gave a soft groan and once more forced myself up to my knees, then to my feet. Without being prompted, I started to undo my sash with one hand, then handed it to him. "I have eight knots." I informed them. Indeed in the middle of it were eight of the ten knots of the Assassin's Rank. "And I have further proof." Altair leaned over to inspect the garment with the Rafik, then both looked to me, waiting. With a grunt, I grabbed the edge of my shirt and lifted it a little, then, as much as it pained me, pushed the side of the skirt down a little as well.

Fully exposed was the tattoo of the Assassin Emblem. When I looked at them again, Altair had his head turned, though Karam was studying the tattoo with care. When he was satisfied that it was truly sunk into my skin, he gave a nod and I fixed my clothes.

"Do you believe me now?" I asked, looking a little grumpy as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

"You must be a poor assassin." Altair sneered, looking at me again. "You scream at each stab of pain." Anger flared again.

"You should wait until I have healed and am not weak from using the Wand. We shall see who is better then!" I smirked, clearly challenging him. Golden eyes narrowed.

"Women should know their place!" He stepped nearer to me.

"Men shouldn't think that they own the world- you would not be here without women!" I stepped up to him, glaring up into his hood.

"A woman has no place in the Creed." Altair scoffed. "You are too fragile." I offered him a smile.

"You mean as fragile as this?" I made a move like I was going to slap him so his attention was on my hand, like I had done with the Templar. Instead as he reached to grab my hand, I jerked my knee up into his crotch. This time, it was him howling in pain, stepping back and bending over. I backed up as well, knowing fully that I had just angered him more then he angered me. Still, I smiled mockingly.

"I thought only women were fragile?" I asked, pretending to be dumb. Altair's eyes turned to fire as he glared at me. Had it not been for Karam stepping between us, I do believe I would have further wounds to add to my collection.

"Altair! Mezula! Stop this at once!" He spread his arms between us to keep us apart. Altair's hands were in fists as my good had was curled around the wound he re-opened and worsened. Karam glared at the other male first. "You should watch your tongue around your Sister Assassin. As for you-" He glared at me now, though his lip was twitching to hide a smile. "You claim to be an assassin and do bare the markings, I admit. Thus you should not be using such dirty moves upon your Brother." He paused briefly. "No matter how rude he is."

"I merely speak the truth." The white-clad man scoffed.

"_Enough_," The Rafik barked again. I bowed my head to show that I understood. "Child, I have more questions for you, but you look fatigued. Let us move this to the courtyard, shall we?" He put his arm behind my back, though he didn't actually touch me. Still I followed his lead out the door that I came in at. He had me sit on the pillows once more. He took a large pillow for himself and sat down on top of it. Altair chose to stand behind Karam, still giving me a cool look.

"May I ask a question?" I asked, watching his face. I knew with his presence that Altair would not attack me again. He gave a nod and I continued. "What is the year?" I hoped I was just somewhere… eccentric. I could live with that. But… what if the wand had done more then just that? The Rafik looked surprised.

"It is eleven ninety-one. Surely you know this?" I gave him a wide-eyed look, brain rushing to try to remember what had happened then. This was the times of the mid-evil, yes? I had taken that extra class in high school when I was still pretending to be normal. What happened in this year?

"The… crusades?" I asked weakly.

"The third one, yes." He smiled. "See, you must remember! Though I wonder what happened to make you forget. I did not see any head injuries when I checked." He mused. I stared at my hands. Of all places to send me, the Wand chose the Crusades? How was this a safe place for me? A time when witches were persecuted on all sides? Would they burn me at the stake? "Now," I snapped out of it, though there was fear all over my face I know they did not miss. "What does that… Wand, you called it? Do?" I curled my fingers into my skirt, head bowed so my chin touched my chest and my white hair hid my face. "Child?"

"I am afraid of answering, Karam." I admitted, shy and quietly.

"Do not fear- none will harm you here now." He consoled. Still I hesitated, fearing my life was lost. It took me a while to get up the courage to say it.

"It does magic. It aids me in doing my magic." I could see the slightest change in Altair, but Karam continued to rub his beard thoughtfully.

"Magic, eh? Al Mualim should know of this. What is it you are then?" He stood up once more.

"I am a witch, the last of my bloodline."

"And may I ask what, exactly, you do as a witch?" Karam looked down at me, making me crane my neck to look at him. I nibbled at my bottom lip, unsure of what exactly to say to that. "Curses? Potions?"

"No! Well," I backtracked briefly. "Potions yes, but curses are a no way!" I shook my head hard. "It is against the rules."

Witches have rules?" Altair sounded skeptical. I nodded frantically.

"I can do nothing to take away free will, I cannot do magic to harm another. The punishment is to receive what you do in three-fold." Karam looked accepting, but once more Altair spoke.

"That contradicts what we do ass assassins. Your laws say you cannot harm another, yet you kill?" To this I blush and shrug.

"I attribute the laws only to magic. I keep both sides of my heritage separate." To my answer he gave a quiet hum.

"I thank you for these answers." Karam said graciously from above me. I smile at him, sensing a dismissal. "For tonight, I am done. I am sure you are hungry, so I will return with some food shortly." I glanced at my stomach, expecting to be hungry, but I was not. My stomach was in too many knots to be hungry. However, I knew I needed to eat to regain the strength the spell took.

I still couldn't believe that it turned my hair white! Let alone blasting me into another century!

"That would be great, thank you." I gave him an appreciative look. Karam nodded and left the courtyard to me and Altair.

To say I was once more scared for my life was an understatement.

He did nothing but stare at me though. At least until he started walking towards me. I panicked and inched back with each step. He reached down beside me, to my left, and picked up a pillow. I went from cringing and tense, to relieved and glad. He took the pillow to the other side and set it down just as the Rafik came back with a tray. On it was a plate of small cakes and fruit. There were also two cups and a pot of tea. He cast Altair an amused glance, then set the tray down before me.

"Here you are, Child." I gave him a smile.

"Thank you, so much."

"Of course- think nothing of it. Safety and peace." He said as he turned.

"Safety and peace." I repeated, looking at the tray.

"Safety and peace to you as well, Altair." I glanced up to see the Rafik send him a small wave. The phrase was repeated by the other assassin. He still looked at me, and I looked back at him, then down to the tray, uncertain. I did not wish to upset him again- or get retaliation for nut-busting him. I picked up a red fruit and looked at it with uncertainty.

"What is this?" I asked him, offering it to him. He snorted.

"You do not know what that is? It is a pomegranate." I scrunched my face up.

"I have heard of them, but never seen or tasted one." He shook his head and looked away from me, to the roof above me. I looked back down to the tray, wondering how I could make amends to him. I was not usually one for rash actions as I feared the consequences. "Altair…" He looked down to me again. "I um… I'm sorry, you know, for kicking you. I shouldn't have done it." I bowed my head. "It's just that, this is so new! The last thing I remember before meeting you was being chased by Templars-" I could hear him shift, more interested now. "And I used the wand. I found myself in this… city, wherever I am and then you were hurting me, and had the wand, and…" I shut up, realizing I was babbling.

"Steady yourself." He said before tugging his hood away from his face. I was stunned at what I saw. The man was handsome, I had to admit. I already knew that his eyes were gold, so that was no surprise. But I saw that his face was strong, with higher cheekbones. His hair was a deep brown, short and somewhat messy. Yet it complimented him. His hair seemed as wild as his eyes, and the eyes were the windows to the soul.

"R-right." I blushed and bowed my head, hoping he wouldn't see. To be honest, I was rarely around men. My uncle had sheltered me my whole life from them, so one on one interaction was rather confusing. "Where I am from, Templars are more prominent then the assassins. We are hunted like rabbits to be taken away. I was… careless and was surrounded. The spell I used to get me here was so I would not be captured. I lost everything, so when the guards were called on me, my only choice was to run." I looked up at him again. He seemed to be analyzing what I said. "Even the running did little- I was so tired. The spell was hard and drained me of all my energy." I reached up, fruit still in hand to touch my white hair. "My hair used to be black. Maybe it will become so again." I had hope.

"I suppose you fainting now has… merit." He studied me closely. I bit my lip and looked away from him. Now that my anger at him was gone, it was weird to look at him.

"It's not uncommon for me." I admitted. "Spell work makes me faint rather easy. I am just surprised I didn't faint right away." I heard a quiet tap from where he was and looked over. The assassin was standing up. I stared again as he approached and was able to notice a slight stubble on his upper lip. When he sat, it was in front of me. He held out his hand, which I took as he wanted the fruit. I handed it to him and watched as he shifted it to the hand that wasn't missing a finger. He pulled a knife from his belt and sliced it in half, then sheathed the blade again.

He took a bite and handed the other half to me. I looked at it curiously, then took a bite. I shivered and made a face as I chewed. It was sweet at first, but the popping of the seeds were really rather bitter. I ate it anyway, not missing the half-smirk on his face as he observed. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad. Maybe he wouldn't hate me. He looked at me expectantly when we had both finished our fruit slices. I looked back at him, confused.

"Do I have something on my face?" I lifted my arm up and wiped it across my mouth.

"You have bad manors." He pointed out. "Pour the tea." He nodded to the pot. I frowned at him, but decided to humor him. I picked up the tea pot and poured it in both cups. He picked up a cup and took a sip of it. Since there was a little steam, I had to guess that the Rafik had been heating up water for tea already when he had offered it originally.

Or the tea was old. That was a possibility.

I took a sip and almost spat it out. The temperature was fine, but it was terrible! "Ugh!" I set it down and chewed on my tongue.

"Is there something wrong?"

"That's so bitter- how can you stand it?" I demanded, reaching for one of the cakes instead.

"Woman-" Altair was silenced immediately by me shoving the cake I picked up into his mouth.

"Mezula. My name is Mezula. Not woman. Call me Mezu if you want, but not woman." I huffed. He reached up with his free hand and pulled the cake away, chewing what he had bitten off before chasing it with a sip of tea.

"_Mezula_," He eyed me. "Tea is naturally bitter. What is it you drink that is not bitter?"

"Water, milk- things that I add sugar to." I pouted a little before licking my fingers clean of honey. I got an idea then. I picked up a new cake as he ate the one I shoved at his mouth and tipped it over my cup. It took a moment, but honey dripped down into the cup. I took a bite of the cake and followed it immediately with a sip of the tea. It was much, much better. I chewed and swallowed quickly, finding that the cake helped to restore some strength.

"I forgot how much sweet things help." I sighed before taking another bite. The brunet lifted a brow at me, but decided not to ask. He just finished his snack and got up to wash his hands in the small fountain behind him. "Altair?" He turned his head a little to show he was listening. "Do you have Eagle Vision? I know that not all assassins do, so I'm just wondering if you do." He nodded.

"I have it."

"I used mine when we first met to see if you were an enemy… you glowed white not red so I assumed you were another assassin. Did you use the Vision on me?" He turned and wiped his hands dry on his robe.

"I did not think to do it. I was more concerned with the guards." He admitted, then I saw his eyes go from gold to yellow, eyes glazing a little. I stayed still, sipping the tea in my cup, starting to feel drowsy again. Altair gave a nod and his eyes turned back into their normal gold. "You are white as well." He shrugged. "But I still do not trust a woman in the Creed." I huffed and sloshed down the rest of my tea before pushing the tray away.

"Good night, Asshole." I snapped.

"It's Altair, not Asshole." He mocked my earlier words. I gritted my teeth and turned, showing him my back. Since the Rafik had told him not to hurt me I hoped he would listen. I could hear him shift to lie down as well and for a while, it was quiet. Just as I was about to fall asleep, he spoke again. "And I will get you back for kicking me." He swore. My eyes snapped open at his words.

That night I did not sleep.

* * *

Ah, the start of one twisted friendship. This is not going to be an 'Oh I love you!' fic right from the get-go. Nope. Neither is their friendship. He now knows she's an Assassin, but the kick to the jewels pissed him off pretty well. Let the vengence begin?


	3. So Begins the Journey

Hello everyone! I wanted to post yesterday, but I got busy with school. So I figure maybe every other day I can post? Hope that works. I know this is new, but I took a mental break yesterday and drew Mezula three times. One in the outfit she wore when she first arrived, one in the assassins robes, and the other was just to show where her tattoos are. I'm happy the faces look similar! I'm rather bad with that.

Anyway, I forgot to put this so... I do not own assassins creed. If I did, I would be screaming in joy and hugging life-sized mannies of Altair, Malik and Ezio on a daily basis. Enjoy!

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Altair was the first to get up the next day. Since I didn't sleep, fearing his retribution, I had spent my night eating the cakes and fruit before downing it with cold tea. The tea was still too bitter, but as long as it was followed by a honey cake, it was at least decent. I was sitting at the fountain, watching the sky when he started to stir. I knew better then pretending to sleep- he was a better assassin then I! He would have seen through me immediately. So when he turned to look at me, I stared back at him.

"Good morning?" My words were too sheepish to hold much merit, even in my own ears. He studied me a moment before standing and walking through the door, not bothering to respond to my simple greeting. I sighed. "Scarier then walking before the Higher ups about getting a new knot…" I grumbled to myself before standing up. I didn't go through the door just yet, as I didn't feel like being alone with an awake Altair. Instead I looked at my arm, checking over the wound. Since it was my left arm, I was worried that maybe the arrow went through my tattoo. I was glad to see that the tattoo was no where near the injury itself. It was still under the bandages, but I had to wonder how they got the arrow head out without waking me up.

Deciding I didn't want to ask any time soon, I started to unravel the bandages on the arm to examine the wound itself. Which ever male put them on certainly wrapped them thick, because it took me a few minutes to get the bandages unraveled. Then there was a new dilemma- the blood had crusted and glued the bandage over top of the wound.

"Mother bitch…" I stared at it, unsure of what to do. "My luck doesn't like me anymore." I reached back to the fountain and dipped my hand into the cool water, cupped some in my hand and quickly slapped it onto my arm. A scream begged to escape my throat but I refused. I didn't want to give Altair a reason to gloat about how _weak_ I was. Biting back my pain, I did it once more, then slowly pealed the damp and bloody bandage away. It gave way easier then it would have had I not wetted it. However I wasn't too sure that looking at it was intelligent after seeing how wide the wound was. I changed my mind- I didn't want to know at all how they got that arrow head out without me waking up. Because then I would think seriously on it and _then_ feel the ungodly pain. I then noticed that the hole in my arm was filled with… something green? I leaned forward and sniffed, catching the prominent scent of aloe.

"That was unintelligent." I jumped when Altair spoke from the door, arms folded over his chest.

"I was looking to see the damage." I glared at him. "And don't tell me anything about the wound. I was going to ask but no longer have the stomach to know." After I said it, I realized the mistake in those words. No sooner did I say that I didn't have the stomach to know then a smirk lit up Altair's lips, despite his covered face. "Don't say one-"

"I told you women were weak. But you must be the weakest of them all." He derided. "The women where I am from are healers and deal daily with wounds like this."

"Does that mean that male assassins are clumsier then the female ones?" I mocked, lip twisted in a sneer. I could just _feel_ him glaring at me.

"There are mistakes but the women know better then to push men about them. They heal and ask no questions. A woman as loud as you should be beaten." I cocked my head to the side, white hair falling into my eyes. I blinked the white strands away and opened my mouth, only to be cut off. "You are loud and your hair is that of a mans." My jaw dropped.

"_What_ did you just say?" I gasped. The brunet stepped closer to me.

"You have the hair of a man." He repeated, drawing it out. I curled my hand into a fist, teeth clenched.

"For your info, ass-hat, this is a popular hair style where I am from."

"Did you call me… an ass-hat?" I could hear the perplexion in his tone.

"Yes." I opened my eyes and glared up at him. I took in his height as I did so. Now, I was by no means short, but this guy just _dwarfed_ me. I was around five foot five and this guy could have propped his chin on my head and have to bend down to do it. _Sonova-_ I hated men that were so much taller then me.

"Is this supposed to be insulting?" Amusement littered Altair's tone.

"Actually, yes. Bastard… laughing at me." I pouted, brows furrowed. He shook his head.

"You are a strange woman. I am not sure if it is funny or unpleasant." The man's golden eyes moved to my wound. He reached out, ignoring as I flinched, and grabbed under it carefully. I hissed, tempted to smack him. "The salve seems to be working well. There is no discoloration and it is beginning to scab at the ends." I checked just to make sure and he seemed to be right.

"That's good. Are there any more bandages around?" I smiled sheepishly. "The others were all bloody so I wanted to get them off anyway." He dropped my arm, sighing through his nose. Without a word, he reached into the sash, tugging out a line of bandages. He gave his head a slight jerk and I assumed it was to lift my arm so I did so. It seemed to be the right move, as he started to wrap the bandage again. At first it was too tight, making my face scrunch in pain. "Altair? That's really tight." Of course he couldn't just lighten up. No, he had to be a jerk about it.

"Not enough muscle for your arm to handle it?" I groaned at his words, rolling my eyes to the ceiling. I also made a silent vow to prove once and for all, when I was better, that I could best him in a fight. That didn't mean I had to be fair. I could try to distract him with a low-cut top or just wearing my bra while I fought. My thoughts began to wander as he continued to bandage up the wound. Wasn't this era known for its lack of hygiene? Altair, from what I could tell, didn't smell too bad.

"Are you alright?" He paused in his movements, watching me.

"Huh?" I looked up at him, then realized that I had leaned in to smell him. My face turned a bright red and I leaned back as far as I could. "I-I'm fine!" I squeaked. He rolled his eyes and stepped closer, much to my discomfort.

"Were you smelling me? Your nose flared…" He mused. I bit my lip and looked away from him.

"Uh… yeah…" I looked back when he tied the bandage off.

"Why?" He stepped back finally.

"I was… wondering about how often you bathed." He scoffed at me and turned to exit the courtyard again.

"Assassins must bathe many times a week, if not daily. Our scent could give away to our enemies of our presence." Despite how harsh he made it sound, I was relieved. "That is what the fountain is for." I glanced back at it.

"I was wondering about that…" I admitted. Once more he shook his head at what I said and exited the room. "Jerk…" I growl to myself.

"Mezula!" My head jerked into the direction of the door. "Are you coming or not?" Altair called. Surprise covered my features before I hurried after him. He was waiting before one of the stone walls. Once I was there, he nodded to the wall. "Find the door." I frowned at him, but complied. Since no door besides the one we had just exited was obvious, I turned my vision on. Immediately a section of the wall started to glow. I reached out, placing my hands where the glow was the brightest and pushed. It didn't take much force to move the wall on its tracks. After I pushed it back, I pushed the wall to the side enough that I could slip through.

On the other side of the wall it seemed like it was some sort of pottery shop. I looked around in awe at the sheer amount that was in there. It wasn't just… pots. But there were bowls and plates and goblets for sale there too. They appeared to only be made of clay and wood, but they were still very nicely made. I heard Altair push the wall back in place, then he walked ahead of me. There were two places to go from here. One to the left and one strait ahead- he went to the one on the left. So I followed. It was a hallway, covered by a beaded curtain that clanked loudly when we went through. We went past one door that was closed and went strait ahead, where it appeared to be a kitchen.

"Food!" I gave a happy groan and went to find more of the honey cakes.

"I noticed you ate everything from last night." There was a frown in his voice. "I have never known a woman to eat so much at once." I turned to glare at him.

"First off, I ate it periodically. Second, the more I eat the better I feel and the better my magic works." I huffed and went to scrounge around for the cakes. "Especially sweet things."

"So the fatter you are, the more magic you can do?" That was it. That was _damn_ it. I don't know if it was polite to call women fat here, but this was just wrong.

"No. I burn fat rather well since I spend most of my time running around and doing magic. Magic burns fat, Altair. I don't know how, I don't know why, but it does." I rounded on him, stomping right in front of him. "So if you are trying to call me fat, I would like to point out that you probably weigh more then double what I do!" I poked him in the chest. He snatched my hand.

"That is not what I meant- it was merely a question. Poke me again and you will find another wound on your body." We glared at each other icily until the Rafik came out, dressed in his black clothes.

"I see you two are getting along now." Karam chuckled, walking past us. I stepped away from the male assassin.

"Hell to the no. If it weren't already that he threatened revenge against me, I would nut-bust him again." Karam looked back from the jar he was examining.

"Nut-bust?" Was I really going to have to dumb everything down?

"Nut-bust. Kick him in the groin." Both men glared, but I noticed Altair leaning back a little bit.

"I would like it if you refrained from 'nut-busting' Altair again." Karam scolded. I bowed my head to him.

"I'll do my best, Karam." He seemed satisfied with that.

"Mezula, if you would be so kind as to fetch the pot? I would like some tea and that is the only one we have on hand." His brown eyes were warm, but I could also tell that it wasn't really a question. He merely phrased it in such a way that I wouldn't be offended. But I didn't mind. The man must be some sort of leader if even Altair listened to him. I gave a swift bow.

"Of course." I turned around and walked away. I wasn't some dumb woman like they must have been used to. It was a high chance that they would be discussing what to do with me. I wondered at the man they had been talking about briefly last night- an Al Mualim? Was he the leader in this time? It was probably stupid of me but when uncle Magnus was teaching me, I would ignore what he said about the history of the assassins. Why should I care about some guy that was dust in the wind by now?

The only thing I cared about was staying alive, staying away from Abstergo and finding an Assassin or Witch man to carry on my bloodline with. Sounds dumb, right? Why would I, of all people, want to carry on my heritage? It's because I felt like I owed it to my mom. She and dad never got along great- they would always fight and rip at each other, but she got with him because he was a strong assassin. Just so she could carry on the family line of magic. Uncle Magnus was sterile from magic gone wrong so he couldn't do it. Mom had no other siblings so it was up to her. Now with Uncle Magnus gone, I was literally the last in my family. I was completely alone in the world, basically.

Maybe getting sent back in time wasn't such a horrible thing? Templars could kill you but they couldn't probe your brain here.

I realized with a shock that I had been standing in front of the hidden door, zoned out for at least two minutes. Blushing, I switched my vision to find the switch that would let me open the wall up. It took a moment to see the golden light behind a fantastic red and silver tapestry. When I moved it aside, there was one brick that glowed fantastically. I applied pressure and the door popped open. I shoved it open more and ran to grab the pot. As my hands grabbed the tray, I heard a ruffled above me. When I looked, there was this beautiful golden eagle, perched on the slated roofing. Its head was cocked to the side, a tawny eye staring me down. I didn't move, just stared back at it. I was always fascinated with birds, as had been most of my family. Each of us that did magic had a familiar. My mothers was a crow, grandfather's was a raven. _His_ father had actually had a peacock. So far, I had yet to find my bird- or even any form of animal.

I could hear the slight shift of the wall and knew that one of the men was coming. I didn't care though. I had never seen an eagle so closely before. Even at the zoo!

"Mezula, what-" Altair silenced himself when the eagle gave a cry, wings flapping in warning. It settled down when no more movements happened from either of us, but only for another minute. Without warning, it flapped its wings hard and shot into the air, leaving a single feather floating down. I released the tray and caught the feather between my fingers. It was fairly long and full of gold and brown. I smiled at it briefly, then turned and picked up the tray. "Is that what took you so long?" I looked up at him and gave a nod.

Without waiting for anything else from him, I walked out and took the tray to the Rafik. That day there was nothing to do after we ate breakfast. The Rafik cared for the shop and sold a few things during the day while Altair had left. I however, wasn't allowed to leave. There were a few reasons and I was told strait out what they were.

"First off, we don't want you getting lost. The guards are still looking for a white-haired demoness; you are injured and if you were caught by them, it would be more then just you in trouble. Besides, you are not of our Creed, despite being a fellow assassin. After you meet with Al Mualim, maybe we may trust you."

So I was left inside what they called the 'Bureau' all day. There was nothing to do at all. I wasn't allowed to be seen by anyone so I couldn't help Karam out in the shop. I didn't know Arabic so I couldn't read the books, they hid my wand from me so I didn't even have that!

By the time I had started to get hungry, Karam came back with another tray filled with fruit, a slab of meat, a hunk of bread and cheese. On the tray was also a mug of tea.

"You must be a mind reader." I almost drooled when he handed me the tray. "I was just thinking about how hungry I was." He gave a soft chuckle.

"Altair made mention that you ate a lot." My jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?" I whined. "I don't eat that much!" A laugh met my words.

"Eat up. That is for you alone." He turned to leave, but my hand caught his sleeve. He turned, lifting a black brow to look at me.

"When will Altair be back?" I asked as I released his sleeve.

"When darkness falls most likely. Have you grown fond of him?" He teased me. I blushed and shook my head hard.

"It's not that! I just wanted to clean up and I didn't want him dropping in while I was bathing." He made a small, uncomfortable sound.

"I see. You should not be bothered for a while. Is there anything else?" I could tell he wanted to leave, so I had only one more question.

"When can I leave?" His hand lifted to stroke his beard.

"Well," Karam began. "I have to await word from Al Mualim before you can leave. Altair will be bringing you before him." I shivered.

"When will that be?" I hoped it wasn't long.

"The pigeon only left this morning." He shook his head. "So tomorrow, if the winds favor the bird." He didn't wait to leave this time. Once more I was left alone to my boredom. At least I wouldn't go hungry! I made a sandwich out of what I had been given and stuffed my face. The sandwich was large enough that it filled me up completely. I was glad for that, because then I could save the fruit for later, just in case. I chased the food down with the hot tea and sighed. It wasn't long before I had to go to the bathroom again, however. I'll spare the details, because no one wants to know what happens in details. Basically, there was a pot in the Rafik's office that I had to use. It was uncomfortable because I kept expecting someone to come in while it was all in the open. Obviously no one did, which I was thankful for. It spared me a lot of dignity.

After washing my hands in the fountain, I looked at the sky. It was barely after mid-day! I groaned and looked around, though I had seen all there was. I was tired, but I wanted to clean up too. I just didn't know what to do first now. I decided that my clothes and I both needed a good scrubbing so my choice was made. After I was sure that there wouldn't be anyone running through while I was cleaning up, I stripped off all my clothes. I carefully washed them first, rubbing the fabric together before ringing each thing out and hanging them off of the hooks helping to hold the plants up.

When everything was as clean as I could get it- getting rid of the blood that was on them mainly- I used one of my stockings as a rag. After getting it wet again, I washed myself off, eyes on the sky. The water was warm from the sun and the heat now that the sun was so high. It had been warm earlier, but moving to the shade really helps out. Now I appreciated the warm water to clean with. From all the running yesterday, I had gotten uncomfortably sweaty. After I finished my stocking bath, I ran my fingers through my hair, un-snagging the knots as I went. I would miss conditioner. I would miss smooth hair.

As I thought about it longingly, I started to pace. I paced from wall to wall, stepping over the pillows. I glanced up at the sky, seeing it was still light. By a lot. I didn't want to risk it, just in case Altair decided to show up. Despite my clothes being wet, I decided to dress again. I shivered and went back to the pillows, moving them into a pile. It didn't take long after I had lain down to fall asleep. That was how my day went. I fell asleep after that and stayed asleep until Altair landed near me. I woke up, but only long enough to bitch him out for it.

At least that's what he said.

I didn't remember waking up and doing that at all.

Oh well, after sleeping I felt amazing. I went from having no energy to feeling it crackling across my palm and shooting out my fingers once more. I woke up at dawn, after Altair and Karam, but still early for me. I wasn't a fan of it, but when I felt as good as I did, I didn't have a care in the world! Back in the Crusades? Bah, so what? Wounded by an arrow- not for long! I whistled happily off tune as I pushed the wall back to go see the two men. After closing the wall up, I walked into the kitchen where their words ended immediately.

"You seem… happier." Karam noticed, brows lifted in amusement.

"I feel, Karam, like I could take on the world!" I spun, skirts flittering up past my knees, showing the garters that helped keep my stockings up.

"Despite your wound?" Altair sounded doubtful. I sent him a smirk.

"Care to see some magic?" I reached up and carelessly ripped the bandage off, cringing a little when the dried blood pried and ripped.

"Be careful!" Karam snapped. "You'll-"

"Heal it?" I smiled and took my right hand and slowly started to curl my fingers around my palm, as though I was tossing a ball between my fingers. I felt the draw begin in my toes, then started to move my fingers faster. The draw hit my knees and then started from my other arm. The faster I curled my fingers the faster the draw of magic drew energy into my hand. When it reached my hips, I had all the energy I needed and snapped my fingers. The snap ignited the energy in a flash, making the men jerk back. I laughed and held still, the energy quivering in my hand. It was in the shape of a ball, though it was smoky, moving constantly and letting off little sparks.

"That is…?" Altair sounded a little afraid of it. If he wasn't, I would think him mad. In this time, this was an impossible and unexplainable thing, against God, Allah and whoever else people worshiped.

"Magic." I nodded, looking at the green ball in my hand. I was starting to get tired again holding it there so they could see. So I lifted my injured arm up so it was level, then slowly pressed the ball into the wound. It didn't hurt- it was warm and it tingled, but there was nothing more.

After the ball of magic was fully sunken into my skin, I moved my hand away.

"Look- you can see it heal." Karam took a step closer at my words. I looked at Altair briefly, seeing how untrusting he was, then back down to my arm. The paste they put into my wound was rapidly breaking down and being absorbed faster by my flesh, the gas turning almost glassy. From the bottom of the hurt muscle and veins, strings of tissue started to spread in tendrils, searching for it's other half. Since the magic was still taking energy away, I grew faintly dizzy, but kept watching, so excited to see what was happening.

After two minutes, the wound closed up and healed so there was a scab that made it look as though I had only grazed myself falling down. Since I would be fine now- tender, but fine- I waved my other hand over it and the healing process stopped.

"That is…" Karam stepped back. "Amazing."

"Most people can do better." I smiled and twirled my finger in my white bangs. "They have familiars and such."

"What is a familiar?" Karam asked, eyeing me with interest.

"An animal that shares my life with me." I explained. "It helps to take the burden and tiredness away when magic is preformed. I heal myself now, I could heal one other person of a wound this size before I passed out. With a familiar I could heal a dozen!" I laughed, then reached my hand up to stifle my yawn.

"Such power in one so young." Karam shook his head and stepped back.

"I'm only twenty." I shook my head. "But I know people that are stronger. There's a girl I used to practice against when Uncle Magnus was alive- three years my junior! When I was twelve she would best me in everything!" I shook my head. "Her name was Carissa." Karam sighed through his nose, shaking his head.

"This world still has much to teach us then. So many questions about this…"

"It can wait." Altair interrupted. "Al Mualim sent a return letter and we are to leave in an hour. He wishes to meet you and assess you to make sure you are not a threat to the Creed."

"Can I have my wand back?" I held out my hand, tapping my foot. He glared.

"You are too demanding."

"Not at all," I laughed. "I merely know what I want and I will get it." I smirked at him. "I'm not afraid of you, not when I'm feeling so much better."

"You should fear me, Novice." He hissed. I frowned at him. While I was happy he didn't call me 'Woman' again, like it was some bad thing, I didn't like being called a novice.

"I'm not a novice- I have eight knots!"

"Two less then me." He sneered. My jaw dropped.

"You don't look old enough to be a Master Assassin!" I whined. "That's no fair!" So dirty tricks would need to be used. That's not what I really wanted to do, but I swear I would kick his ass!

"You are too young to have eight knots." Altair shook his head.

"Am not!" Rather then continue this childish game, I changed the subject. "Just give me back my sash and my wand!"

"Learn patience, Novice." The brunet said coldly, then pushed past me, hand grabbing onto a saddle bag I didn't see. I growled and made to storm off after him when Karam stopped me with a hand to my shoulder, which he withdrew the second I turned.

"He does have a point." I started to argue, only for him to lift his hand to silence me. "But I do not care about that now. Your tunic was ripped and you are showing an improper amount of skin. I purchased a new tunic for you to wear for now. Follow me." He walked past me quickly. Was I such a pain, really? I suppose I should kill some of the energy that I had bubbling over. I didn't have anything on me at the moment though so I couldn't drain any. With a sigh, I turned and caught up with the Rafik, who was tapping his foot impatiently. "Here," He reached behind the counter in the Assassin office, handing me a bundle wrapped in my red sash.

"Thank you, Karam." I bowed my head, beaming.

"Go- change into it. If you ever return to Acre as an assassin in our Creed, you shall be welcome. Safety and peace, Sister." He walked out from behind the counter.

"Safety and peace, Brother." I bowed my head as he passed, showing my respect. He offered a small smile before he walked back into the store. Without further words, he closed the wall. I glanced over to see the door to the courtyard closed and gave a relieved sigh. I unraveled the bundle, only seeing the tunic and the sash. I frowned, but decided I would ask Altair before we left. I pushed off the skirt and shirt, feeling odd standing in just my underwear and shoes. I quickly tugged on the white tunic, which went to my wrist, then went to my calves. After putting my skirt on, I put the sash on, wrapping it several times around my waist before tucking it and letting the end flutter ahead of me. I exited the office and went into the courtyard to find it empty. I frowned, but suspected going back into the shop would be bad at this time.

Instead I looked up to the opening in the roof. With my arm back in working order, I ran at the wall and jumped, using the momentum to catch on the edge of the roof. I yelped and fell, finding my arm weak still. I fell flat on my ass and cursed, forcing myself up to rub it. "Son of a monkey whore." I growled. I did it again, only this time putting more weight on my right side. I used the rest of my upper body strength to pull myself onto the roof. It didn't take but a moment to do so. I rolled onto my back, legs still hanging into the courtyard. I must have dozed off, because I was awakened by the sound of thumping on the next building over. I jumped up, wishing for a dagger until I noticed that it was Altair.

"What took you?"

"I was readying the horse." I blinked.

"One horse?"

"One horse." He nodded. "I couldn't afford to buy you a horse here. You will ride with me." I paled and I could feel it. Suddenly I didn't feel so energetic anymore. "Something wrong?"

"How long is this journey going to take?" I asked, tense.

"Two days." I swallowed back another string of curses.

"I sh-should inform you th-then. I am actually afraid of men." He was quiet for a moment after my words.

"What?" Altair sounded disbelieving.

"My uncle kept me away from guys. I… I've never been around a guy so long alone!" I was blushing, stepping aside nervously.

"Well," I could hear a smirk in his tone. "Unless you wish to sleep in the gardens with the Desert Blooms, you're going to have a horrible time. Where we are going, the entire fortress is nothing but men." I was quiet.

"I've changed my mind. The wand sent me strait to hell." I groaned.

"I have that." He patted the plates that covered his stomach. That was one question answered.

"Can we go now? Can we, can we just go now? I want to get this over with as soon as possible." I was near tears. I mean, the guy was a few feet away when he slept, but hours, flesh to flesh on the back of a horse? This was hell!

"In a moment." He stepped forward and started tugging at my sash. My back went ridged and I stared at him, semi-afraid. He finished unwinding the sash, then started to wrap it around my head.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"They are still looking for a demoness with white hair. No woman has hair like yours. Luckily covering your head with the sash will work like one of the veils women wear." It took less time to put it on my head then I thought it would. He tossed the ends over my shoulder and stepped back, letting me relax. "This way," He turned around and started running across rooftops. Dammit, he was fast! I followed, running as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough. He was a constant three buildings ahead of me. He didn't bother to look back once, just kept jumping. He finally stopped the building ahead of the gate, crouched over on the edge. When I caught up, I was a little winded, but not much. I stood behind Altair, waiting for him to do something. I looked over, seeing men dressed like the ones that were chasing me- was it only two days ago?- standing before the gate.

"What now?" I asked him, frowning a little.

"This," He stepped back, and turned. Then he jerked out a knife from his waist and threw it. There was screaming suddenly and I looked, eyes wide. He had barely looked and killed a guard! The screaming attracted the men from the gate, causing them to run to see what was happening. I was about to jump down when his hand shot out, stopping me.

"What?" I was confused- why weren't we going?

"There's always two lines of guards." Sure enough, another line of them came running from the other side of the gateway. He jumped down into a bale of hay beneath us, then ran out the gate.

"Jackass!" I growled to myself, then jumped down and did the same thing. Only this time, when he was on the other side, he waited. He was holding the reigns of a white mare, looking in my direction.

"Do you know how to get on?" He mocked me. I scoffed.

"I do!" No I didn't. But I could improvise. I walked forward and put my foot in the stirrup, grabbed onto the saddle and yanked myself up, only to slide to the other side. "Ouch!" The people around us started to laugh.

"You didn't have to lie." I could just _hear_ the laughter in his voice and wanted to kick him! "Come here." I huffed and got up, taking the time to pat myself clean of dirt before stomping to him. "Get on after me." He put his foot into the stirrup and went onto the horses back with complete ease. Altair offered me his hand, which I hesitantly took. With a jerk, I found myself pulled onto the back of the horse.

"Wow, I feel tall." I looked down. When I looked back up, he snapped the reigns and gave a cry. The horse took off, making me scream. I snaked my arms around Altair's waist and wrapped my legs around his. For the first time, I heard him laugh.

It was the scariest damn moment in my life!

"You're an asshole, Altair!" I shouted at him. He didn't respond, just kicked the horse further on. I really, really hate him. We spent the morning and afternoon on the back of the horse, slowing only when we passed guarded towers. We finally stopped just before night to set up a camp right next to a river. Once the horse was taken care of, I stormed off, leaving him to set up camp on his own.

That was a really, really bad idea.

* * *

Still a strange begining for friendship, but it'll do. About the magic- she is limited. She can't do it all- she's not a big bad- she isn't godly. She actually loses energy really fast when she does magic, but when she has all her energy, she feels great. Like she could take on an army! But she can't.

Also! The healing- it just sped everything up. A wound any bigger then hers would have taken a lot more energy and could possibly end up hurting her. Hope you enjoyed!


	4. The Exhausting Blaze

Wow, it's been forever. I really, REALLY am sorry about it. Life got in the way, though I can't say most of it was exciting. I actually stayed up until 3 so I could get this finished- I figured I owed you guys an extra hour or two, since you've given me so long!

WARNING: This is rated M for a reason- just not to the good parts yet.

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The first thing I did after I left Altair to set up camp was to rip the sash from my face. Taking a gratifying gulp of air, I looked around the tree line that I found myself in. I didn't really recognize any of them- which was depressing. At home, I had known so many. Willow, birch, oak- each one had meant something to me. Here, none of these trees were familiar and it was depressing. I looked out over the slowly moving water and realized how sweaty I had become under the sash. Disgusted, I was tempted to toss it to the ground, then instead knelt down and dipped it into the water. After a thorough scrubbing, I hung it on a lower branch of a tree to warn Altair away from the spot.

The water had looked so inviting- even more so since it was my preferred element. It hadn't taken very long after seeing it to decide that swimming sounded like heaven. The skirt was the first thing to be shimmied out of, quickly followed by the long tunic. While the skirt fell to the ground without me caring, I hung the tunic up to insure it didn't get any dirtier- it was a nice article of clothing after all. The shoes were next and those I simply slid my feet out of and stepped away. I hissed as my foot landed on a rock- ripping the bottom of my stocking up.

"Bloody fucking…" I growled, then undid the straps holding my stockings up so I could remove them before anything more could happen to them. Another wave of depression hit me as I realized I'd never be able to replace the white nylon stockings- maybe they'd have something similar here though? It didn't comfort me- this was not my time. This was not the place I grew up. Even the clothes I had loved so much weren't going to be mine anymore. As I stepped out of my garter belt, there was a prickling sensation on the back of my neck and I turned around quickly, lifting my arms to cover my chest.

"I know you're there!" I called. The white of his clothing had given him up in the dying light of the sun. He moved into my sight, though his gaze was averted now. From the slight lifting of his lip, I knew that he was doing it only because he had been caught. My face flushed and I quickly moved behind a tree, peering out to watch him.

"Better senses then I thought- I barely watched a moment." His honest admittance to having watched me embarrassed me- once more brutally reminding me how unused to men I was.

"What do you want?" I demanded- my voice higher then I had intended. He paused, his smirk deepening at the sound of my voice.

"The camp is ready- Karam even gave you a bedroll. You should be grateful."

"I'll send him an email." I snapped. A puzzled look came over his features and he turned to look at me, a mix of curiosity and mild disappointment on his face. That startled me- was he disappointed I had hidden myself? The thought made me blush even harder- I hated myself for it.

"What is 'email'?" Another reminder I didn't belong.

"An email is how people communicate where I am from." I explained. "You wouldn't really understand." That seemed to upset him.

"If a woman can understand such a concept, I can as well." I wanted to laugh so badly at him- the inferiority complex he was forcing himself to see in me was kind of funny.

"This is not the time to talk about it." I reminded. Once more the golden-eyed man paused, appraising me.

"Ah yes your state of modesty." The words seem to leave a sour taste in his mouth. "I do not understand why you fret about it now."

"Excuse me?" Irritation flared in me- killing the embarrassment I had felt moments before.

"Your clothes are entirely immodest. Your ankles show." Now it was my turn to look confused.

"What's wrong with ankles?"

"_Ladies_," he stressed the word, showing he didn't think me much of one. "Do not show their ankles- surely that cannot be so different where you are from." I almost forgot I was standing behind a tree in just a pair of purple lace panties and its matching bra. The anger I felt at him suggesting I wasn't a lady in some sense, _just_ because my ankles were showing pissed me off.

"Actually, it is." That seemed to surprise him. "Where I'm from, being 'modest' means wearing shorts just above your knees and a bikini top in the summer."

"What are-" He silenced himself, turning around and backing up towards me.

"Don't come-!" Altair turned around and dashed over to me, forcing his hand over my mouth. He ignored my struggling and lifted a hand to his lips. Then I could hear it- the snorting of horses, not far off. He pressed himself against me to hide himself from the approaching people. Despite the situation, my heart skipped a beat at the proximity to the man.

"Did you hear that?" It was an obviously masculine voice. My heart started to beat like crazy.

"Hear what?" Another male voice, slightly more grungy sounding answered.

"I heard a woman's voice." It was a third voice. I began to pale- I couldn't tell which side of the river they were coming from, though from how Altair continued to press against me, I had a feeling they were on our side.

"A woman, eh? Sure you aren't hearing things?" I could hear laughter and Altair shifted against me, drawing my attention again. His hand was still pressed over my mouth, his gaze turned towards where the sounds were coming from. I could feel his hips firmly against my stomach, causing knots to form there. His other hand was on my hip, the fingers digging in almost painfully, though it was like he was prepared to move me to safety if he needed.

"I tell you, I heard something." Finally, I reached up and grabbed Altair's wrist. The movement startled him enough to make him drop his hand. His eyes looked into mine and I had to swallow to even be able to whisper.

"Enemies?" I assumed. He shrugged, then turned his attention back to the men.

"It's getting late." The third man complained. "Ehsan, are we ever going to camp, or just keep looking for that demon?" I supposed that answered that.

"Keep looking." It was the man with the grungy voice. "De Sable wants her found and brought to him. He saw them chase the thing." Altair's hand began digging into my hip again and I knew I would bruise if he kept it up, but I didn't care now- the name had spooked him. There had to be a reason why, and if they were talking about me- face it, who else could they be talking about?- I felt like I was in trouble. "The witnesses say she appeared in a flash of golden light- she might have another artifact." My wand. Altair and I both seemed to get the same idea as we looked down to his sash. Well, I looked down towards his sash, though I felt as though his gaze touched something on me instead, since he was still pressed so tightly to me.

I growled quietly to warn him, though I was sure I was blushing again, and he looked up at my face, unapologetic, before turning his attention back to the men.

"Do you see that?" The sound was closer now. I could hear the sound of armor clinking together as one of the other two men got off their horse, followed by the other two. "That white?" I looked at Altair in alarm- they had spotted my tunic.

"Give me a blade." I whispered. "Then hide out of sight. I can distract them." He gazed at me for only a moment, uncertain, then pulled one of them out of the sheath on his sash. As the sounds from the armor approached, Altair knelt down and moved away from me. The small blade clasped firmly against my breasts, I took a breath, then tucked it into my bra before walking out into sight.

A startled sound escaped the men, then they laughed. I was sure I didn't look threatening standing there, mostly naked. I tried to calm down, to think of the gaze my mother always held when she was angry- cold, firm.

"We didn't even have to go that far!" The man that spoke had been the first I'd heard. He was short with blonde hair and blue eyes- a German? I vaguely remember that they had been in the Crusades. Or maybe that had been the French? Though it didn't matter.

"I suppose not." I spoke, slowly moving to the side. Snickering, they began to follow me, two of them putting away their swords. One man didn't though- he was obviously Muslim and I had to assume that he was Ehsan. "You've won the game of hide and go seek, but can you catch me in a game of tag?" My words obviously confused the men. I was sure Altair would ask me about it later as well.

"Lewd demon," The third man- older with salt and pepper hair- leered at me. "You'll come peacefully- we wouldn't want to _harm_ a treat like you." I sneered.

"Maybe the treat wants to harm you." It was then that Altair struck- his sword stuck out of the body of the blonde, causing a cry to escape the man. The other two whipped around to stare in shock at their dying friend as Altair ripped his blade from the man, blocking the swing from Ehsan's sword. While Peppers, as I had temporarily dubbed him, fumbled for his sword, I drew the blade out of my bra, slicing myself slightly. It didn't matter- I was too intent on sinking my blade into the man. I lunged at the man, then ducked his punch with ease by dropping to the ground. From there, I kicked the man's knee. Despite his armor, I heard a satisfying snap and knew I had just broken his knee. I was even more certain when I heard him cry out and watched him fall to the ground.

Still hearing the clash of metal from the fighting Altair, I moved forward, half crawling over the man. A new, strange feeling crept up my spine as I smiled down at him in satisfaction. The horror and fear in his eyes was beautiful in a strange way.

"Never fuck with a demon." I cooed, then stuck my blade into his temple. The blade sunk into his skull like a warm knife through butter. He died immediately. Without another thought, I removed myself from the man to go and help Altair. They weren't very far from me, and they seemed decently matched in skill. However, I crept up to help.

Next thing I knew, Ehsan had whipped around and grabbed me by my wrist and jerked me to his chest. In my surprise, he had managed to twist my blade out of my hand, his sword against my throat. Altair stilled. I doubt the Assassin had any fondness for me, but he had been tasked with bringing me to the Grandmaster- I'm sure he didn't want to disappoint.

"Is the demon your woman, Assassin?" He taunted. Unlike Altair, this man did not smell good- he smelled like sweat and filth- his breath was like rotting meat. I turned my head away, my face screwed up in disgust.

"You will release her." The man didn't seem fazed by Altair's words.

"Or what?" He was backing us up, one arm wrapped around my stomach and arms so I couldn't wiggle free. The tip of his blade touched my breast, making my struggles cease. Altair took slow steps after us. The man's sword dipped to the front of my bra. "I thought so. You assassins- such strange clothes you have your women wear." I gasped.

"Stop!" Before I had even finished the word, his sword had sliced the bra in two. The now useless object fluttered to the sides, exposing the swells of my breasts and the soft pink that tipped them both. My face went red and the color spread down my chest. Ehsan laughed.

"Such an innocent act, little demon." He chided in my ear. I could hear the stomping of horses now, not far away. My back went straight as his blade started on a trail lower.

"_Enough!"_ I snarled. All of a sudden, flames erupted above my right shoulder. The man screamed and pushed me away- strait towards Altair. Surprised, Altair dropped his sword so I wouldn't be impaled upon it. We both fell to the ground.

In those moments, the man slapped the asses of the other two horses, then climbed onto his own. As the horses ran away he stayed for a moment to stare at me. I turned to see him, then started to move to stand.

"What are you?" His voice was filled with wonder. In the brief moments I saw his face, it was charred by flame. I snarled and lifted my hand- flames danced around my fingers, though I was never burned.

"A demon." I grinned at him, the light from the flames in my hand twisting my features. In fear, he reared his horse and took off, following the other horses. Unsatisfied, I sent flames after him- the horse's tail caught fire. The poor animal screamed and moved even faster. They were gone in moments. All of the sudden, my energy left me. The flames died from my hand and I started to slump to the ground.

Altair caught me around my middle.

"Are you alright?" There was concern in his voice. At t his point, I was so tired I didn't care that I was exposed to him.

"Fire isn't my element." I said weakly. Truthfully, I should never have been able to summon or control fire like that. The energy it took to summon the blazes was insane- there was an aching behind my eyes from the force it took.

I could feel his eyes on me, assessing me. Finally, he reached his other arm under my legs and picked me up. My arms wrapped around his neck in fear of falling, something that was not lost on him. He chuckled.

"Brave against those that would kill you- afraid of heights." He started walking back over to my clothes to pick them up. I glared up at him tiredly.

"Afraid of men." I reminded him. He simply knelt down, grasping my skirt and shoes in one hand quickly then standing back up. I unwrapped one arm from around his neck to take the items, then reached out and grabbed my tunic and sash as well.

"You shouldn't." Was his vague answer. At first I thought he meant grab my clothes. But he had been looking at where the man had fled, not towards my clothing when he spoke.

"Why not?" I eyed him- this was the man that had told me I should be beaten for my tongue.

"No man could stand up to a woman who can control fire." He was taking us back to the camp. I didn't say anything, just stared up at him as he walked. I wasn't sure how to take his words, and he wasn't letting me see his eyes. No, his golden eyes were trained ahead of him, obviously avoiding my gaze. After several minutes of walking, he set me down on the bedroll he had laid out for me. No fire was burning- he hadn't seen fit to start it yet.

"Get dressed." He started to pack up camp. I didn't question him- there was an enemy nearby after all. I pulled the tattered remains of my bra away and tossed it by the wood of the fire before putting my clothes back on. I didn't bother putting the sash around my face though. Instead, it went back around my waist, the blade Altair had given me tucked inside. Standing shakily, I began to roll up the bedroll while Altair got up on the mare. He brought her over so it was easier for me to pack the bedroll into one of the leather bags hanging at her sides.

Then he reached down and offered his hand.

Without much thought, I took it and allowed him to pull me up. Instead of being behind him now, however, he placed me ahead of himself. One of his arms wrapped around my midsection while the other grasped the reign. He spurred the horse on, ignoring my confused looks for several long minutes before he finally looked down, weary.

"Sleep. You said you get hungry and tired after using magic- we have to move, but you'll get food tomorrow." I blinked slowly at him a few times, then nodded in understanding. My eyes slid shut and I leaned my head against his shoulder and slept.

That was the first time I had ever been unafraid of a man being so close to me in my sleep.

About nine hundred years later, a box was discovered in the basement of a home near Acre. Inside was the strangest thing- a faded purple bra. The lace had turned to dust in some locations while clinging tightly in others. The owners had said it had belonged to a great-grandfather. He had discovered the strange garment on his trip home and had taken it as a marvel. The man had no idea what it was, but the idea of such a strange find had excited him.

Researchers now are trying to figure out how a bra that looked just like the one that was going on clearance in Macy's, ended up being found so far in the past.


	5. What is Fated

So! Two days later then when I wanted to post this, but it's twelve pages long! So... almost 6 thousand words. Pretty spiffy, eh? Enemies will be made and friends met in this chapter. Also, there's a hint at what her place just might be with the assassins.

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I woke up to a bright sun- showing it was at least two hours after sunrise. Groggy, I leaned forward and rubbed my eyes before I really took in my surroundings. We were on a mountain, making our way to the large, obvious fortress. My purple eyes widened as I let out a breath.

"You sleep too much." I turned my head to look at the complaining male behind me.

"You're the one that told me to sleep, Altair." I reminded him. He snorted.

"We're almost there." I paused- this was the hideout? There wasn't much hiding in that case. Were we really so powerful that we could be out in the open? What had happened to the Assassin's power over the centuries? He mistook my silence for fear.

"You don't have to be afraid as long as you are what you claim to be." I turned my head ahead again.

"I'm not afraid of that." I rolled one of my shoulders. "I'm afraid of people hating the witch- demon- whatever they want to call me. If I remember correctly, witches get killed in this time." I could feel his gaze boring into me. I didn't meet his gaze though, not realizing my mistake.

"In this time?" My back tensed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Don't worry about it." My voice darkened in warning. There was silence for only a moment.

"Even if you do not tell me, you will tell Al Mualim." He growled back.

"It's too hard to explain!" I exploded, turning to look at him. The spike in my energy sent the horse skipping faster towards its home. We glared at each other for a moment, then he finally looked back ahead to watch the horse.

"Then you'll have to figure it out." More silence followed for several minutes. "What is hide and go seek?" My lip twitched a little.

"I'll show you sometime." He shuffled a little behind me. From there, we ignored each other for the rest of the ride. While he focused on the horse, I focused on working what magic I had gained back through sleep into my arm. The tense muscles began to relax, internal bruises began to fade and a comfortable numbness put me at ease. By the time I had finished with the healing of my arm, we were at the first gate. Near the walls of the mountain were troughs and stables- horses milling about each one under the watchful eye of a young boy. Our horse went to one of the empty spaces and began to drink, dismissing us.

The boy wandered over, eyeing me distastefully as Altair swung himself off the back of the horse. I did the same, ignoring Altair's offering hand to help me off the horse. The getting off was easy- just not the getting on. As I slid off the horse, my skirt caught one of the saddle bags slightly, lifting it a bit. It didn't bother me- I simply lifted the fabric loose.

"You are lucky Abyadi is a strong horse." The boy snapped at me. Altair glared down at the boy, who then withdrew a little, still casting me nasty glances. I blinked at him.

"What the flying fuck is your problem with me?" My words apparently were not what the boy was expecting, as his mouth gaped open. It was Altair that answered, however.

"Immodest." His tone was mocking. Before I could retort, he started walking around the wooden spikes guarding the entrance to the city. I hurried after him, lifting my skirts so I wouldn't step on them. I could hear the boy sputtering behind us, and I simply turned and stuck my tongue out at him. I twirled around the wooden post and was amazed at what I saw.

As far as ancient cities go, this was the most beautiful. There were people of every size and race milling about various stalls. Women sold baskets and pots right beside men with spices, fabrics and everything that the people of the city might need.

Altair turned around and lifted a brow at me, silently urging me to move on. I dropped my skirts as I caught up with him, ignoring the looks of the people around. As we walked, we passed a woman, obviously pregnant, arguing with her husband.

"I need it- the nausea is horrible!" I could see the man behind the stall looking unhappily at the couple. This had to have been happening for a while, since he did not seem to be sure of a sale.

"It's too much money, Aini!" Her husband was older then her, looking grumpy. He wasn't an assassin, from what I could tell. The woman began to tear up. He started to look panicked, as did the peddler holding a pot of some sort of cream. "Aini, no crying now…" He tried to sound soothing.

"You said you would take care of me!" She hissed at him. Altair looked contented to just pass them by, but I walked right up to the woman, who stared at me in surprise, tears shining in her eyes.

"You said you're nauseated, right?" The woman nodded hesitantly, but her husband glared at me, taking in my apparel.

"Who are you?" I lifted my brow at his rudeness. Though I suppose I was being rude, interrupting them. I ignored him and turned to the peddler, who seemed surprised to be addressed by me.

"Do you have mint?" A brightened look crossed his face and he went to the other side of his stall and came back with a small jar of the leaves.

"Only the best! Carefully grown and tended to." I smiled pleasantly while I listened to him speak.

"Would you mind horribly to let me have one leaf?" He frowned a little, thinking about it. Finally, he shrugged and plucked a small one out and offered it to me. I took the leaf and turned to the woman.

"Do you mind if I touch your nose?" The woman wrinkled her nose for a moment, unsure.

"What is it you plan to do?" Her husband was the one that spoke.

"Mint," I began while I rubbed the leaf between two fingers firmly, releasing the fragrance and allowing its oils to coat my fingers. "Has wonderful healing properties. One of them being to deal with nausea." That seemed to interest the man at the stall as well as the husband. "May I?" The woman nodded again. I reached up and pressed the oil under her nose and on the tip of it. After I was sure there was as much as I could get off my fingers on her nose, I pulled away. She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose, then opened her eyes in surprise.

"It is helping." I smiled at her, and she beamed back, then turned to her husband. "If you cannot buy me the salve, then buy me the mint!" She demanded. The man grumbled and turned to the merchant.

"How much for the jar?" I didn't stay to hear the price, instead I returned to Altair's side, who had been glaring at me with folded arms during the exchange. I gave him a sweet, apologetic look. He snorted and started to walk again. I cast one last look over my shoulder, seeing the couple walking away with the jar of mint leaves. The merchant caught my eye and he grinned at me, offering a slight bow. I suppose even a small sale was better than no sale after all.

I would have to keep the man in mind when I needed ingredients for potions.

"Why did you do that?" Altair asked. "It was not your place." I shrugged.

"I have a soft spot for pregnant women." He lifted a brow at me, a bemused expression on his face.

"You are strange." His words were mildly accusatory. "You claim to be many things ungodly, yet you are gentle and kind. Why don't you make up your mind?" I shrugged again and kept at his side. The lack of response didn't please him, but I suppose from his lack of frown, the golden-eyed man hadn't really been expecting one. The rest of the walk to the gate of the fortress was silent.

I could see men in assassin's robes now walking away from it. Several gave pleasant greetings to Altair in Arabic, which he returned boredly. A few gave me lifted brows and sent Altair a sly smile, though all he did was glare back at them. As his steps hurried, I moved faster to keep up with him.

"Let me guess," We were reaching the gate now. "They asked if I was your woman?" He sneered, giving me all the answer I needed. He spoke anyway though.

"I would never be distracted from the Creed by one such as you." It was my turn to glare, but he didn't notice as the man at the gate approached.

"Abbas." Altair folded his arms.

"The master told me you would be arriving later." The man known as Abbas said distastefully. He had a dark, full beard, though it was neatly trimmed and short. His dark, beady eyes focused on me with lifted brows.

"This is the one you bring?" I swear if one more man sneered at me today, I was going to gut him. "She doesn't look like much."

"Great things come in unexpected packages." I cooed. Abbas glared at me, his hand coming up to strike me. Before either he or I could do anything, Altair's hand snapped out and grasped the man's wrist.

"I would warn you against that." He said coldly. "She is not one you wish to cross." Abbas jerked his hand away from Altair.

"She's nothing more than a woman." Now Altair had to hold me back as I snarled, fingers twisting into claws.

"She's more powerful then you might think." He wrapped an arm around me to hold my arms to my sides as he moved me around Abbas.

"Nothing more than a woman." He repeated. I hissed and tried to get at the man, or at least try to summon fire again to catch his sash on fire. Altair seemed to sense my motives and dragged me along.

"No fire." He warned. "Abbas might deserve it, but it is not worth the black mark on your record." The way he said it suggested it was more than just a black mark but a punishment as well.

"Fine." My shoulders slumped a little. "Can I nut-bust him if he tries it again?" Altair's lip twitched, though I couldn't tell if it was in amusement or remembering when I kicked him in the groin. I regretted reminding him of it, simply because I didn't really feel like having to deal with him getting revenge on me.

"Only if he attacks you first." He finally conceded. The courtyard was filled with assassins, some talking, others training in various skills. I smiled, seeing the various activities. Growing up, I had been trained by my family away from others. This- getting to know the people around you- seemed so much better. A few people cast curious glances my way, but since I was with Altair, no one bothered me.

We made our way up the stone stairs as we entered the building. Altair caught the attention of one of the men there. "Where is Al Mualim?"

"He is busy currently." Busy with what wasn't even asked, Altair simply nodded. I didn't pay that horribly much attention to him though as he came back- my gaze was more focused on the many books around me. Some titles were in English, others Arabic- I could even swear I saw someone walking away with a scroll covered in hieroglyphs. That one was certainly intriguing, and I almost called out to the man- could he teach me? But I refrained as Altair approached me again.

"We will have a meeting with him later." I nodded a little, still gazing at the young- and I do have to say attractive- at the Englishman holding the scroll. The man standing next to me followed my gaze and lifted a brow before turning his gaze back to me. I still hadn't been paying attention until Altair leaned down a bit and sniffed.

That certainly gained my attention in a matter of heartbeats.

I found myself pressed against the railing, leaning away from Altair with wide eyes. He snickered at me and leaned back up. I stuttered for a moment before I was finally able to spit out what was on my tongue.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" I uttered my Uncle's favorite curse quietly- or as quietly as could, as my words were a bit high. It drew the attention of the scholarly assassins nearby. My face flushed deeply.

"You need a bath." He didn't even bother to quiet his words. They were said in a very matter-of-factly way. In dismay, I wondered if this was somehow part of his revenge on me for kicking him in the balls.

"No less then you do." I shot back. That drew laughter out of several men, including the Englishman- pleasing me a little. Altair glared at me and I smiled easily, pushing myself onto my arms so I could sit on the railing. After I was precariously perched, Altair folded his arms, eyes still very narrowed.

Finally, a slow smirk crossed his face. So slow and so slight I almost missed it. My smile slipped from my face and despite the warning, I wasn't able to help myself. Altair stepped forward and made to whisper in my ear. Even though that was all he did, I began to slip from the railing, trying to lean back away from him.

With a shriek, I tipped over. The only thing that stopped me from going over completely was how quickly I wrapped my legs around his torso. While I hung over the edge of the railing, Altair stumbled, bracing himself with his hands on the wood by his sides. One of my hands gripped my skirt to keep it from showing off my underwear as I heard even more laughter. I looked down, being about six feet from the nearest stair, then back up to Altair's face. It was blank, betraying no emotion except for in his eyes.

The bastard was laughing in his head and I knew it.

"Need help?" I squeezed my legs tighter, digging into any soft fleshy parts I could find.

"No, I can get this." I ignored his raised brows in favor of bending up at the waist. Now assure my skirt wouldn't fall away too badly, I let go and used both hands to grasp the railing. I as I unraveled my legs from Altair's chest, he started to move away. Not quite fast enough for me, sadly for him.

I bent my legs at the knees and kicked him. As he went backwards, arms flailing a little, I used the momentum to shoot myself over the railing. I landed on my feet with ease while my traveling partner backed into a bookcase. I stood up and brushed myself off nonchalantly, then smiled brightly at the man I was slowly realizing I would have some sort of rivalry with. It was easy to see, since we were acting like idiots already after only a few days of knowing each other.

"Now! You said something about leading me to the baths?" I received a withering glare for my trouble, but I just sweetly tucked a lock of white hair behind my ear. Another silent battle erupted between us, eliciting the snickers from the Brothers around us. Finally, he just started to walk away. I followed him, stretching my arms good naturedly.

"I'll get you back for that." I raised my brows now, not finding it threatening all of a sudden.

"You said that last time." I wouldn't _totally_ embarrass him by saying how. He still understood and shot me a look, his back straitening. I shrugged innocently. He didn't say anything more, which I should have realized was a bad sign. After just a few minutes, we exited the building.

Once outside, I realized that there was a secondary courtyard, and it was beautiful. While the front one was wonderful in the sense that people actually interacted within the creed, the back one was just wonderful. The garden was in full bloom with a fountain in the middle. I sighed happily, slowing my steps to look around. Yes, this would be a wonderful place when I needed to meditate. He continued to lead me until we reached someone I hadn't noticed at first. She was reclining on a bench in one of the gazebos.

As we approached, the woman opened her eyes and my expression twisted in confusion. "Aini?" The woman looked at me with a bit more interest.

"Fellah, actually." She was painted up very attractively, something I noticed as she smiled slightly coyly. She sat up, her dress something very flirty and bright- netting as the sleeves and I realized that it was beautiful and I wanted one. It's hard to describe the dress, to be honest. It was tight in the chest, putting emphasis on the size of her breasts, and only loosened when it reached her hips, where the fabric spilled like water. Silk, I wondered? The embroidery on it was something special as well.

It was purple too. Loved the color purple.

"My twin is Aini." She said as she stood up, looking at me curiously.

"I um, met her in the market. She was trying to convince her husband to buy her some sort of salve to help with her nausea. I introduced her to mint instead and well… it helped." The sound of laughter from her throat was musical.

"That is our brother, Robeel. Her husband is an assassin named Sahab." She flicked her hand a little, making the bracelets on her wrists jingle. I was fairly mesmerized, which must have shown since she sent me a slight wink before turning to the now bored Altair. "What brings you to me today, Assassin?" The words came out like a caress.

"She is in need of bathing. She is to be meeting Al Mualim later today." Her brows rose as she looked at me.

"Then she is new to the garden?" She began to appraise me, her chocolate eyes scanning my form. "She does not have much to work with." My jaw went slack and I looked down at myself.

"What's wrong with me?" I demanded. Sure, my breasts weren't that large, a B cup, usually adding a bit of padding to them to make them look bigger, but they weren't bad.

"You have few curves." She grabbed my waist and traced me, making me freeze. "Well," She backtracked. "You don't show them. And your breasts!" She grabbed them and squeezed, making me squeak. "They are small, though they are rather firm." I moved away quickly, casting a wide-eyed look towards Altair. He wasn't even hiding his chuckles- his shoulders were even shaking. Finally, at my look he burst out laughing.

"She is not here to be a Bloom." He finally said, his laughter dying into deep chuckles. "She claims to be an assassin." A surprised look again from Fellah. More appraisals, then a nod of the head.

"That I can see." Part of me felt hurt- was I not attractive enough? "Right!" She clapped her hands and another girl appeared. "Have them send clothes fit for her then. I do not think Al Mualim will enjoy seeing a recruit in our clothes." Altair nodded, and then walked away. I'm sure he was going to bathe, so I didn't even bother saying goodbye to him. Especially after what just happened with Fellah.

Together, the girls led me away, chattering to themselves about what they should do to me. I wasn't sure if being ignored was a good thing or not at first.

"Maybe rosewater?" The one suggested.

"No, she isn't going to be joining us." Fellah shook her head.

"Then maybe orange blossoms?" That one I could deal with, so before Fellah could say anything, I piped in.

"I like orange blossoms." That seemed to decide it. We walked down a flight of stairs outside and I was able to clearly see the chasm on the other side, going straight down for at least a mile. That was a little nerve wracking, but I focused on the words of the women.

"Orange blossoms would be lovely," Fellah agreed. "Does your husband like the scent then?" I sputtered and she turned her head, brow raised. These people all made me feel stupid. "Surely you have a husband, if you are not to be a bloom?"

"No, no husband!" I squeaked. That seemed to throw them both off. The younger girl looked at me with wide eyes.

"You have never known a man then?"

"Gods, no!" I cried. "I'm only twenty."

"Most are married at fourteen, you know." The girl said matter-of-factly. I scrunched my face up.

"That's not what happens where I'm from."

"Where are you from?"

"America."

"What's America?" I blinked- when did Columbus discover the 'new world' again?

"Far away?" I supplied helplessly. That seemed to at least satisfy them.

"Maybe you will find a husband in an assassin." Fellah spoke slyly. "Maybe Altair?" I almost tripped over myself, a distressed look coming over my face again.

"Once more, Gods no!"

"You get along with him well."

"We bully each other." I said blandly. She shrugged.

"You get along."

"I'm sorry- that man will never take my v-card thank you." I rolled my eyes with a blush.

"What's a V-card?"

"Virginity." I was going to have to re-learn everything I've ever said. The word set the girls giggling.

"We're here." It was a small bath-house set into the mountain. I followed them in, peering around awkwardly. They took no notice and started chittering again- maybe they could find me a man? I had such beautiful eyes, they were sure they could find make up to make me look more feminine. I blanched a bit listening to them- I feared them more then I feared the grand master at the moment. I supposed they finally realized I was still standing there staring at them because they turned and gave me their attention again.

"Well- go on, get undressed." It was the younger girl.

"Um… no thank you." The girl's wide doe-eyes looked at me, making me shift uncomfortably.

"But how will you bathe?"

"On my own." I folded my arms. "Just show me what to use." The two women looked at each other uncertainly. "I'm an adult," She reminded. "I can handle myself."

"I'll go fetch the orange blossom water." The younger woman quickly walked away. Fellah led me behind a wall where there was a bath sunken into the ground, very similar in style to the fountain in the back courtyard. It wasn't very deep, but there seemed to be hot water bubbling from it. A curious look from me had her answering.

"It is very rare, but it is a hot spring. The Blooms are the only ones allowed to use it though. The men boil their water." I nodded. "When you are finished, Dolores shall help you get ready." Before I could protest, Fellah wandered off. With a sigh, I looked around. There was a table near the water and a bench against the wall. I walked over and found a rough stone, much like a pumice stone of my time. Seeing nothing else but multiple stones, I figured that's what was used.

It didn't take me long to strip out of my clothes- first tugging the dagger Altair gave me from my sash. I wondered briefly if he forgot I had it. Then I put the tunic to one side, then the rest of my things in a pile on their own. The things I came with, and what I had been given. Satisfied, I slipped into the water. Immediately, relief and energy began to fill me. I was a water element after all. The heated water helped not only to energize me, but made my muscles relax. Gods it was wonderful. And deeper than I thought originally. Seated on the bottom with my legs stretched out, the water was only a few inches under my throat.

I sat there for several minutes, eyes closed, before there was a shift in the air. I opened my eyes; head tipped back and saw Dolores.

"Dolores, that's a Spanish name, isn't it?" The girl blushed and set down a tray on the table next to the pumice stones. I could see jars and a set of clothes.

"Yes, it is." She agreed.

"**Why are you not home?**" Her eyes widened as I addressed her in Spanish.

"**You speak it?**" I smiled.

"**If I could not speak it, then how are the words coming from my lips?**" I could see a simple joy in her eyes. "I speak French as well." I offered. "**And German**." I could tell she couldn't understand the others, but that was alright.

Then she spoke words I didn't understand, then realized it was Arabic. She switched back to English. "You do not know Arabic?"

"Nah, I was never taught that. Where I'm from, there's a different form of Spanish- that's how I know that one. French is another popular language, since it's not far from a French speaking country- not France." I cut her off as she opened her mouth. "German, since dear Uncle Magnus, my brother and I lived in Germany for a year…" My words died off as I thought of my family. Brooding now, I submerged myself more into the water, until just my eyes were sticking out. She seemed to sense I had arrived at a sensitive subject.

"You have ink in your skin." She noticed. I let her step closer so she could examine my arm, even sliding back up to show it to her. "Strange symbols." She tentatively touched the tattoo.

"It's a protection charm. I have another," I turned and tugged my hair away from my chest. At first, it didn't show, but as I relaxed the magic around it, another tattoo began to peak out- along with all the scars it hid. My body was covered in them- long and white, some more recent. On my arms, my chest, my back- I had been shot, been slashed at as well. But it all was hidden thanks to my tattoo. "A charm of hiding. I don't use it that much, though I should."

"What does it do?" Her eyes were wide as she looked at the line of runes over my heart.

"Well, if I actually use it more than just to conceal itself- it does that on its own, really- I can be standing in front of someone and them not notice me." As I stopped paying attention to the tattoo, it hid again, along with my mosaic of scars. "Can you see it?" She searched my chest as I pressed against the wall of the bath. It took a moment, but she had a strange look on her face when she spoke again.

"Sort of," That surprised me. "I see a black blur." A slow grin overcame my face.

"Dolores, you're amazing." She gave me an uncertain smile as I brought my arms from the water to rest my chin against them. "What do you think of magic?" She shifted, looking aside.

"It is evil." I snorted.

"It's not evil." I reached behind myself and wrapped my hair around my fist, drawing it back over my shoulder. "Magic is neutral- it is the human that wields it that makes the use good or bad." She eyed me.

"You seem as though you have practice." She nodded to my glamoured tattoo.

"And you have a talent you don't know about." I turned around and leaned my back against the wall again. "When were you born?"

"August twenty-sixth."

"Virgo the virgin." It had only taken me a moment to think of what she was. She turned around and looked at the girl, really well for the first time. She had tanned skin, deep ebony hair and glittering blue eyes. "Your eyes are sapphire, like your stone and you're an earth element." I kept my head turned to look at her. "I bet you have a small collection of stones, don't you?" Her face flushed.

"I can also guess," I continued, while grabbing the stone and began to scrub the bottom of my foot. "That each stone helps you in a different way. Sapphire when you need comfort, the purple stone when you're not feeling well…" I looked up again and saw her staring at me, an odd expression on her face.

"How do you…?" I sent her a soft smile.

"You've got a natural talent for magic. You're drawn to your element. Like I'm drawn to mine." I nodded to the water. She caught on.

"Water?" I nodded. "But I don't understand."

"That's fine," I chuckled a little, scrubbing up my leg. "In this time, I know things are hard to comprehend." I thought about it for a moment. "Earth and water elements are both good with healing." She watched me with interest.

"Really?" I nodded.

"I could teach you if you'd like." She beamed.

"I would truly enjoy that!" I saw from her excitement that while she was content with the position as an Assassin's lover- what else could they be? - She would much rather have something that helped her to feel a bit more important. I smiled at her again.

"Are you willing to get ink?" I asked. She gave me a confused look and I turned my head and lifted up my white hair. On the back of my neck was a tattoo- this one standing for knowledge. "This tattoo helps me to learn and adapt."

"So, if I were to get that same tattoo, I could… learn faster?" I nodded and dropped my still-dry hair. "Could… henna be used?"

"Yeah, though you'd have to get it re-done a lot." I started scrubbing my other leg now, feeling dead skin flake away from me with each and every stroke. I actually found myself enjoying the feeling of the rough stone.

"I would be alright with that." She sat on the bench between the two piles. I scrubbed at myself quietly for several minutes, being incredibly careful with my still-strained arm and the cut on my breast. It was almost healed, but you could never be too careful. When I was getting done, she spoke again. "Do you want me to scrub your back?" I paused, then smiled.

"Sure," I reached around to hand her the stone. She knelt at the side and I stood a bit, using my arms to cover myself now that I was out of the water. She started to scrub my back gently.

"There is a potion for your hair as well." She mentioned, hands touching a long scar on my back- it should have been hidden from her sight, but she was perceptive. I nodded and she began to scrub again, until she finally allowed her hands to still.

I ducked under the water and ran my fingers through my hair before surfacing again with my back to her. "If you'll hand set it on the bench, I can take care of it." She quickly did so and stepped away.

"There is a bucket next to the drain- dip it in the water to rinse your hair." She stepped behind the wall, seeming to realize my dislike of being around people while I was a little bit less then clothed. I got out of the water, enjoying the whooshing sound as it all fell back down under me. I used the small steps to get out and grabbed the bucket, filling it and then grabbing the jar. There was another small table near a drain system that led out- I assumed over the side of the mountain.

It took me five minutes to lather the solution through my hair- I smelled jasmine, amber and orange blossoms. After, I rinsed my hair out and blindly wiped at my eyes to make sure none of it got into my eyes. After I was sure nothing would leak into my eyes, I wandered back over to the table, feeling a little weird walking around naked with someone right next to me. I saw there was a towel on top of the clothes I had been brought and quickly started to towel down.

"There's bee-wax in the large jar. The smaller one is the orange blossom water." I glanced at the bee-wax. That was a kind of lotion, right? I decided to use it- it was creamy enough. I didn't use much, just enough for my hands, elbows and feet, then used my fingers to flick a bit of the orange water onto my throat and behind my ears. Satisfied, I slipped into the clothes. It was an assassin novice uniform and I donned it happily, desiring nothing more than to fit in and be seen as a real assassin. Someone had even brought me a red ribbon to tie my hair back. I did so, plaiting my hair so a long braid flopped over my shoulder. There was still a layer of hair that was chopped shorter than the rest, the fringe framing my face. I stepped out from behind the wall, tying my sash around my waist. My things had been taken- all except the sash, and that did include the dagger, which was fine by me. I was barefoot though. She looked down and frowned just slightly.

"They weren't sure what size to send down." She admitted, then handed me back my slipper-sandals. I shrugged and put them on, unfased. The pile of my stuff sat next to her. "Al Mualim is expecting you now- he has had lunch brought to his study in wait." My heart began to flutter in excitement, and maybe a bit of worry. But that was alright- it was expected from when I would meet with a sect leader about a knot. But this, I knew, was not about a knot. It was about my fate- if they thought I was lying, I was sure I'd be killed.

"I think I remember the way." She nodded and held on to my clothes. I knew I'd get them back eventually, but it was still hard to walk away from the last remnants of my life. But that's what I did, my shoulders thrown back in confidence. I wasn't about to show weakness to a leader. It wasn't going to happen- I would be seen as strong and an asset. The only thing that could bring that down is if Altair divulged the information about my fear of men- I was sure that wasn't going to be seen as anything good.

Regardless, I could only hope for the best. My magic had sent me where it thought I needed to be. I wouldn't question it. So, walking alone with my hood up, I walked to face my fate. Either I would be welcomed to this time's Brotherhood, or I would die with honor. My only regret would be leaving no one to carry on my bloodline.

* * *

So, with that closing, we see how important her family line is to her, since that's potentially one of her last thoughts. What did you guys think? Reviews are lovely and keep me thriving- until next time~


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